News

Welcome to the July PFA Newsletter.

The last 6 months or so have been an extremely busy time for the PFA team; we have successfully moved from shared offices in Old Trafford to a brand new office in Altrincham, Cheshire, a new recruit has joined the team as we have taken on a new Procurement Manager, and we attended an exhibition in the North West and an exhibition in the Midlands, where we were the main sponsor. More recently we networked around the CIH conference in Manchester catching up with old faces and warmly welcoming new and enjoyed looking around all the modular builds that were dotted about, shaping homes of the future.

Our most exciting news to date however is that we are celebrating our 13 th Birthday and at the same time we welcome on board our 30th member, showing that the power of 3 really is the magic number!

Over the past 6 months alone we have welcomed on-board 7 new members, including one University, the Arts Council an NHS Trust and two more Councils from the South, increasing our membership to 30. It really has been a busy start to the year all round!

Below you will find in more detail, important PFA news and updates which I hope you find of interest.

I am staying up to date with the latest implications of Brexit, both on the industries that we provide services to and public sector procurement. Because, just like any industry expert out there will tell you, we simply can’t predict what the future holds (although I will say, whatever the change, just embrace it wholeheartedly, and make it work for you and your company). We have embraced a Royal Wedding, seen a Manchester football team win the Premiere League and are eagerly awaiting the winners of the World Cup in Russia (and for some, Love Island!).

Until next time, enjoy the sunny weather, sizzling BBQ’s and lights nights……

Keith Armstrong

MD & Company Secretary, PFA

Framework and Dynamic Purchasing Systems (DPS) update

PFA Frameworks:

When our members opt for a PFA framework, they feel confident knowing this will be OJEU compliant, cost effective and efficient. With a team of professionals at hand, our members can rely on expert advice, knowledge and accessibility from a dedicated Account Manager, as well as a supply chain that is rigorously assessed and monitored.

Did you know……Thanks to our collective purchasing power, you could save on average £6,000 per annum on direct procurement costs by using each framework.

The benefits of a PFA Framework:

- OJEU compliant

- Quick route to market

- Bespoke to your requirements

To find out more about our Frameworks and the areas we support, please click here

PFA Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS)

As a procurement tool a DPS has many positive aspects similar to a framework agreement, yet new suppliers can join at any time throughout its life cycle offering more flexibility and the process is purely electronic, making it faster and more efficient.

The PFA team are offering more DPS categories across a variety of services and the team can manage the full drawdown process for members as part the core service we provide.

Did you know……Our collective purchasing power means our DPS solutions are some of the most competitive in the market place. Members typically save 13% net on like for like costs. Each DPS also saves £5,000 in procurement cost savings each time one is used.

The benefits of a PFA DPS:

- OJEU compliant

- Each contract formed from a DPS is always bespoke to your requirements

- Our current supplier or contractor can join at any time

To find out more about our current and future Dynamic Purchasing Systems, please click here

If you wish for Procurement For All to procure a category for your organisation, please get in touch as we consider all suggestions that are put forward and will always work with you to find the solution that will best enable your organisation to make cost savings.

We are pleased and excited to announce that we have recently looked at our fee structure for our Energy Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) and have agreed to reduce the contractual member fee for accessing the Energy DPS.

Currently, members are charged at 2%, however having recently accessed market trends and taking into account the low commodity margins for energy, we have now reduced the fee to 0.75% for all members who are currently using, or may use the Energy DPS in the future.

We are currently celebrating our 13 th Birthday and coincidently have recently signed up our 30thmember, which is a significant milestone for PFA. Our latest member to join the consortium was Peabody Housing Trust based in London, strengthening our existing presence in the capital.

PFA members are geographically spread across the UK and members now cover all areas of the public sector. Keith Armstrong, MD at PFA, recently commented about the company’s rapid growth since he started in 2010, “as we celebrated our 13th Birthday, our 30th member came on board, which is a pivotal point in our journey to date. However it does not stop here and the PFA team are committed to increasing our purchasing power and would welcome new members to join and access our evolving and diverse services.”

The PFA team have been out and about recently networking, speaking and participating in industry led events.

In April, we attended the UK Infrastructure show at the NEC, Birmingham and are proud to have been one of the official event partners.

The UK Infrastructure Show is one of the UK’s leading infrastructure and supply chain events, offering delegates the change to be part of a networking opportunity of £500bn in planned investment over the next ten years. The show provided participants with a unique opportunity to engage, connect and collaborate with an array of key projects, decision makers and influencers representing all areas throughout the supply chain.

Keith Armstrong, MD at PFA gave a presentation on Working Together Collaboratively; Working Smarter not Harder, and Keith entertained the crowd with his knowledge, expertise and calm and humorous persona and he also had a one page feature in the show guide.

We are all too aware of the positive impact of collaborative working. Granted, the process can be challenging and initially somewhat testing, but once the lines of communication have been opened and understanding of shared values and business strategy has been set, at the end of the day collaborative working saves time, effort, resources and has a significant, positive impact on efficiencies. As Keith mentioned in his presentation, “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress and working together is success” (Henry Ford).

PFA are committed to working collaboratively and live this value every day when working with members. Get in touch with the PFA team to see how they can assist you to work in a more collaborative manner.

We also attended the Procurex England North event in April, which took place at Manchester Central. Procurex brings together public procurement professionals and market leading suppliers of an annual UK spend of over £220bn. The event enabled buyers and suppliers with an opportunity to network, share best practise and exchange skills and knowledge. Collaborative working at its best!

The PFA Team worked alongside one of their key suppliers Lyreco on the day and enjoyed meeting many industry experts, new leads and catching up with old contacts.

The end of June always brings a hype of activity to Manchester from the housing world as we welcome the annual CIH conference. This year was no exception and the PFA team enjoyed the informative seminars, networking with peers and relished in making new acquaintances. The PFA team met with key partners who were interested about finding out more about our new DPS’s, while the rest of CIH was awash with modular builds. Will this change the future landscape of housing?

Member Spotlight:

We are delighted to announce the following new members on-board in the past few months:

1)ForViva Housing have commissioned the use of PFA’s Lifts Framework. ForViva is a forward-thinking social organisation who re-invests profits to enable communities to build vibrant and safe neighbourhoods to improve health, education and employment prospects.

Salix Homes have commissioned the use of PFA’s Lifts Framework. Salix Homes is a multi-award winning social housing provider, who put customers at the heart of everything, from investing in homes and communities to how services are provided.

3)Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Trust, are assessing PFA’s Water Hygiene Framework.Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust is the largest specialist heart and lung centre in the UK and among the largest in Europe and work from two sites, Royal Brompton Hospital in Chelsea, West London and Harefield Hospital near Uxbridge.

4)Arts Council England, are interested in the up and coming Facilities Management DPS and a Procurement Health Check.The Arts Council champion, develop and invest in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people's lives and support activities across the arts, museums and libraries. Between 2018 and 2022, they will invest £1.45 billion of public money from government and an estimated £860 million from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country.

5)Nuneaton & Bedsworth Council, are interested in using the Lifts Framework. Nuneaton & Bedsworth Council provide residents and visitors to Nuneaton and Bedsworth with access to a wide range of popular council services from housing to planning and building control.

6)Lancaster University our accessing using Lyreco from 1st July 2018 via our Business Solutions Framework.Lancaster University offers a wealth of acclaimed academic staff who guide and support the development of students. Lancaster University marries academic excellence with practical impact, valuing rigorous research and high standards and working with industry, business and companies to ensure the relevance of research and teaching.

7)Peabody Housing Trust are in talks with us regarding use of the Energy DPS. Peabody is one of the oldest and largest housing association in London and having recently merged with Family Mosaic in 2017, the Peabody Group owns and manages more than 55,000 homes across London and South East, housing over 111,000 residents, with 8,000 care and support customers.

The PFA team are excited to be working with such diverse members and are looking ahead to strengthen relationships through our new Account Management model with is being led by our recently appointed Member Manager, Cass Hasford and welcome the opportunity to work collaboratively to assist members to achieve better efficiencies and better economies of scale.

PFA’s Working Group

The PFA team held a Working Group session at Accent Housing in Bradford on 13 th June which was attended by various colleagues from all different departments from our member organisations. The session was interactive and informative and was held over 3 hours from mid-morning through to the afternoon and included a networking lunch.

The following topics were discussed:

- Update on PFA services and our continued commitment to members

- DPS Procurement; What’s it all about

- Procurement pipeline

All members are welcome to attend future Working Groups.

The next scheduled session is: Wednesday 21st November and will take place at Equity Housing, Cheshire, 10.00 – 1.00pm, lunch will be provided.

Summer Fun - Stay Safe!

At PFA HQ we are more than just DPS and framework fanatics. We are also relishing in this fabulous weather we are currently having, and making the most of it before the rain descends.

Sunny days and light nights puts a spring in our step and makes us feel good and it has also brought a rare yet welcome health kick presence into the office. Gym classes during lunch breaks and family walks post work are becoming the norm for most of the team. Staying healthy invigorates your mind, body and soul (and keeps you in shape for shorts and vest tops!) Here are some healthy tips to keep you in shape over Summer:

Always stay well hydrated. It is recommended to drink 8-10 glasses of water a day. This will help you maintain your weight, improve brain function and fuel your body throughout the day

Eat Fresh: Fruit always seems to look and taste so much better when the sun is shining. Go to your local farmers market, or stock up at the super market on as much fruit and veg as you can

Put a spring on your step: try and exercise as much as you can when out and about doing normal everyday activities. Climb the stairs , take the longer route when walking or cycling and why not try and even add in some lunges or stretches when going for a walk.

Act shady: its great to be outdoors in the sun soaking up all the rays, but don’t forget to spend time in the shade too. Try to limit your time in direct sunshine at peak times and always apply sunscreen 30 mins before sun exposure and wear sunglasses and a sun hat if necessary

Disconnect: from the internet, smart phones and any other technology that you are usually distracted by. Enjoy the sun, have a conversation with people, have a BBQ, take some time out for you.